Crown 1834 ESC 275 the John Jay Pittman example (David Akers sale Numismatic Inc 6-8 August 1999 Lot 3864) choice FDC pleasing old grey tone with orange and gold hues in places, free of contact marks and hairlines a choice coin. Rated R5 by ESC 5 - 10 examples known, and in today's buoyant and international market a difficult piece to estimate. Heritage of Dallas sold a high grade example in 2011 which realised $69,000 (£44,000 at 2011 exchange rates, £56,000 at todays) but key date rarities in choice grades have surged forward since then. For example the sister coin to this the 1831 crown with a mintage 10 to 15 times greater than the 1834 would have realised £8000 - £10000 in 2011 or put another way the 1834 could expect to realise 4 - 5 times more than the 1831 in a like for like grade, but an 1831 Crown in MS65 just realised £61,000 hammer price in St James Coinex sale September 2016. As this piece is choice and has been graded 88 by LCGS one could predict an MS65 could be given if submitted to the US graders and could argue that a £200,000 - £300,000 price ticket would not be absurd. However we have estimated it more conservatively and will await the results of the bidding. All William IV crowns are rare and sought after by collectors ESC lists three varieties of the 1831 in silver these were made for inclusion in the 1831 Proof Sets which had a mintage of just 225, a gold example is known dated 1831, a trial strike in lead dated 1832 and rated R7 (one or two in existence) and the 1834. This is the first 1834 example we have offered and the only example graded by LCGS whilst we have previously offered 11 examples of the 1831 crown and LCGS have graded three 1831s. Our research has found no other 1834 crowns sold since 2011 and this Pittman example to our knowledge has not been offered at auction since 1999 so if you are interested in choice rarities of the sort offered globally once or twice a decade this is the lot for you.

Halfcrown 1831 Plain edge Proof with WW in script, with upright die axis alignment, unrecorded by ESC, Davies or Spink however we note that Coincraft lists the piece as W4HC-025 and also Spink lists an 1831 Crown with a similar die axis alignment, FDC or very near so with a deep blue and green tone. Weight 13.74 grammes. Cataloguers note: Coincraft states that these pieces were possibly struck at a later date, indeed, close inspection of the coin shows that the rim is of a wider type and more akin to the later currency pieces 1834-1837 and also states that some of these weigh 'c.13 grammes', We note there was no example of this type in the Colin Adams Collection

Crown 1831 W.W. on truncation Plain Edge ProofESC 271 UNC, attractively toned with a couple of small edge bruises and nicks, the coin overall with much eye appeal, slabbed and graded by NGC somewhat conservatively at PF60

Crown 1831 Plain Edge Proof, ww on truncation, Reverse Inverted, ESC 271, S.3833 GEF unevenly toned, the obverse fields displaying some light tooling, with some scratches to the edge, thus accounting for the slightly lighter weight of 25.85 grammes as against the stated 27.0 to 28.0 grammes of a mint state piece, nevertheless very rare and missing from the majority of Crown collections, Ex-Baldwins 7/11/2007 retailed for £7,750

Halfcrown 1831 WW in Block the rare currency issue with milled edge ESC 656 the coin weighs light at 13.3 grammes instead of 14.1 grammes due to the edge milling having been largely removed, though evidence of the milled edge remaining in a couple of places EF with surface porosity and hairlines the coin consistent with having possibly been in jewellery (Ex LCA 129 Lot 1454 realised £1,300)

Halfcrown 1831 WW in Block an impaired Proof with milled edge ESC 657 the coin weighs light at 13.3 grammes instead of 14.1 grammes due to the edge milling having been largely removed, though evidence of the milled edge remaining in a couple of places EF with surface porosity and hairlines the coin consistent with having possibly been in jewellery.

Halfcrown 1831 WW in Block the rare currency issue with milled edge ESC 656 the coin weighs light at 13.3 grammes instead of 14.1 grammes due to the edge milling having been largely removed, though evidence of the milled edge remaining in a couple of places EF with surface porosity and hairlines the coin consistent with having possibly been in jewellery.

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